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Forget what anyone has told you. Forget that Punxsutawney Phil predicted we would have an early spring. Pay no attention to the caterpillars or the information contained on the pages of any almanac.
The surest sign that spring is nearly upon us happens this week when pitchers and catchers report for spring training. And that means baseball's opening day is much closer than many of us want to believe.
Pitchers and catchers for the Pirates are scheduled to report to Bradenton, Fla., on Wednesday. Things really start to heat up next Monday, when the position players are scheduled to report to camp and the first full-squad workout will be held.
Pirates fans in the Tri-State Area will be watching spring training a little more closely this year, if for no other reason than to get a glimpse of one of the team's biggest acquisitions during the off-season -- pitcher Aroldis Chapman. While not likely to be as dominating as he was earlier in his career, the expectation is he will be able to serve as a great set-up man for closer David Bednar. That will make the team's bullpen even stronger and could ensure the Pirates will be playing a lot of meaningful games late in the season.
Pitchers and catchers for Cincinnati are scheduled to report to Goodyear, Ariz., Wednesday, and position players are set to report by Monday, when the first full-squad workout is set. Cleveland's pitchers and catchers, meanwhile, are due to report Thursday, with the remainder of the team set to be in camp by Feb. 20.
Those dates serve as a prelude to the start of exhibition games. The Pirates will open Grapefruit League play Feb. 24 when they visit the Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. The first game of the spring at LECOM Park happens Feb. 25, when the Orioles visit for a 1:05 p.m. start.
The Guardians and Reds will open Cactus League play when they meet each other at 3:05 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Goodyear Park facility they share.
And while those games don't count, they give fans a chance to get a glimpse of what might happen once the regular season gets under way. That happens March 28, when the Pirates visit Seattle for a 4:10 p.m. start, the Reds host Washington in a 4:10 p.m. start and the Guardians visit Oakland in a 10:07 p.m. start.
Pittsburgh's home-opener will get under way at 4:12 p.m. April 5 when Baltimore visits PNC Park, while Cleveland's home-opener is set for April 8 against the White Sox.
The march toward opening day has started -- we hope you will sit back and take a few moments to put the worries and cares of the day behind you while enjoying a spring training game or two.